Diabolical – Umbra

In the mood for some Death Metal that has some seriously dark and sinister overtones? Then look no further than DIABOLICAL’S new EP Umbra, out now on ViciSolum Productions. These Swedish metal masters have been at it since 1996, and this is another fine addition to an already stellar body of work. With only four songs though, I kept looking toward the sky and screaming, “WHY? WHYYYYYYY??” I NEED MORE!!” Still, the tunes that we do get on the disc are damn near perfect.

Opener “Requiem” made me feel immediately like I was in a sacred church of metal, and also has a bit of a BEHEMOTH feel. Which is fine because they are one of my favorite bands on the planet. “Disapora” is a perfect example of that sinister feeling I mentioned earlier. Even while it brings the hammer down, there’s a definite aura of something evil at work, so naturally I was all over it. This is also the longest song on the disc, clocking in at just over six minutes, and at one point it slows almost to a crawl before raising its giant paw and swatting away at its foe one more time.

“Tremor” takes a quieter approach, with some subdued, clean guitars and a clip of someone talking over them. What it’s from I don’t know, but it certainly wasn’t dull or boring. Bringing the EP to a close is “Decline”, at first a sea of Black Metal-style blast beats, then reverting to a death Metal crusher. It’s definitely one of the record’s best. Overall, Umbra is very well-done. Again, my only complaint is how short it is. I hope this is just something to tide the fans over until they give us a full-length, because dammit, this just ain’t enough. But no matter, it’s a strong recording from an incredible band!